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FCICE practice questions

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Question 1English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: "The witness gave a ______ account of the accident, describing every detail in order."

  1. tentative
  2. reluctant
  3. haphazard
  4. meticulous Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause that follows the blank emphasizes precise, orderly attention to detail, so the adjective must carry that meaning. Meticulous means showing great care about small details, which fits the sentence exactly.

Question 2English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to "candid".

  1. blunt
  2. honest
  3. evasive Correct answer.
  4. frank

Explanation

Candid means open and direct in speech. An antonym must express the opposite quality of withholding or avoiding directness, which is the meaning of evasive.

Question 3English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word most nearly the SAME in meaning as "tenacious".

  1. cautious
  2. persistent Correct answer.
  3. fragile
  4. generous

Explanation

Tenacious describes someone who holds firmly to a course or goal and does not easily give up. Persistent carries the same sense of continuing steadily despite difficulty.

Question 4English language proficiency (Phase One written)

The expression "to bury the hatchet" most nearly means to:

  1. hide evidence
  2. conceal a weapon
  3. end a quarrel Correct answer.
  4. abandon a plan

Explanation

This is a fixed idiomatic expression whose established meaning is to make peace after a conflict. Idioms cannot be decoded word by word, so the literal images of hatchets or hiding do not control the meaning.

Question 5English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb: "Neither the prosecutor nor the defense attorneys ______ willing to postpone the trial."

  1. were Correct answer.
  2. was
  3. is
  4. has been

Explanation

With "neither ... nor," the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. The nearest subject here is the plural "attorneys," so a plural verb is required.

Question 6English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb: "The report, together with its appendices, ______ been submitted to the court."

  1. have
  2. were
  3. has Correct answer.
  4. having

Explanation

The subject is the singular noun "report." An interrupting phrase set off by commas, such as "together with its appendices," does not change the number of the subject.

Question 7English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "The attorney promised to ______ the defendant's prior statement in her closing argument."

  1. site
  2. cite Correct answer.
  3. sight
  4. seize

Explanation

The verb meaning to quote or refer to a source as authority is "cite." The other options are homophones or near-homophones with unrelated meanings.

Question 8English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the sentence that is punctuated correctly.

  1. The witness who, had arrived late, was asked to wait outside.
  2. The witness, who had arrived late, was asked to wait outside. Correct answer.
  3. The witness who had arrived late, was asked to wait outside.
  4. The witness, who had arrived late was asked to wait outside.

Explanation

A nonrestrictive relative clause is enclosed by a pair of commas, one before the clause and one after it. Only one option places commas at both boundaries of the clause.

Question 9English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb: "The court ordered that the defendant ______ the premises within thirty days."

  1. vacates
  2. vacated
  3. is vacating
  4. vacate Correct answer.

Explanation

Verbs of demand and order, such as "ordered that," take the mandative subjunctive in formal English. The subjunctive uses the base form of the verb regardless of the subject.

Question 10English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the sentence in which the modifier is placed most logically.

  1. The empty jury box was noticed walking into the courtroom.
  2. Walking into the courtroom, the reporter noticed the empty jury box. Correct answer.
  3. Walking into the courtroom, the jury box was empty and noticed.
  4. Walking into the courtroom, the empty jury box was noticed by the reporter.

Explanation

An introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause. Only in one option does the person doing the walking also serve as the grammatical subject.

Question 11English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb: "By the time the jury returned, the judge ______ the courtroom."

  1. has already left
  2. had already left Correct answer.
  3. already leaves
  4. will already leave

Explanation

The past perfect marks an action completed before another past action. Since the judge's departure preceded the jury's return, the earlier event takes "had" plus the past participle.

Question 12English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct preposition: "The two parties finally reached an agreement ______ the terms of the settlement."

  1. to
  2. on Correct answer.
  3. with
  4. for

Explanation

English collocates the noun "agreement" with "on" or "about" when naming the matter agreed. "Agreement on" is the standard formal collocation for terms or issues.

Question 13English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Which word is most appropriate in a formal written opinion? "The court ______ the appellant's argument as unpersuasive."

  1. rejected Correct answer.
  2. brushed off
  3. shot down
  4. blew off

Explanation

Formal legal prose requires a neutral, single-word verb rather than a slangy phrasal verb. "Rejected" matches the register of a written opinion and fits the construction with "as."

Question 14English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Read the passage and answer the question. "Although the statute was enacted in 1910, it was rarely invoked before 1970. Even today, few practitioners cite it, though courts have never formally overruled it." The passage suggests that the statute is:

  1. no longer valid
  2. widely applied in practice
  3. recently amended by the legislature
  4. still in force but seldom used Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states that the statute has never been formally overruled, which implies it remains valid, while "few practitioners cite it" implies infrequent use. Combining the two claims yields the inference that it survives but is rarely applied.

Question 15English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the phrase that completes the sentence with parallel structure: "The prosecutor was known for her sharp questioning, her careful preparation, and ______."

  1. she gave persuasive summations
  2. persuasively summing up
  3. her persuasive summations Correct answer.
  4. summations that persuaded

Explanation

Items in a series must share the same grammatical form. The first two items are possessive noun phrases, so the third must also be a possessive noun phrase.

Question 16English language proficiency (Phase One written)

A witness said, "I did not see the car." In reported speech: "The witness said that she ______ the car."

  1. does not see
  2. did not saw
  3. has not seen
  4. had not seen Correct answer.

Explanation

When a past-tense reporting verb introduces reported speech, the original simple past normally shifts one step back to the past perfect. The negative is formed with "had not" plus the past participle.

Question 17English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the connector that best fits: "The statute is very old; ______, it remains binding on the parties."

  1. for example
  2. nevertheless Correct answer.
  3. similarly
  4. furthermore

Explanation

The two clauses stand in contrast: age might suggest obsolescence, yet the statute still binds. A concessive connector is needed to signal that contrast.

Question 18English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: "The attorney's remarks were ______, since they had no bearing on the question before the court."

  1. irrelevant Correct answer.
  2. irreparable
  3. irrevocable
  4. irreverent

Explanation

The clause "had no bearing on the question" defines the missing word as meaning unrelated to the matter at hand. Irrelevant expresses exactly that lack of connection.

Question 19English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct word: "There were ______ objections to the proposed schedule than the clerk had anticipated."

  1. little
  2. less
  3. fewer Correct answer.
  4. lesser

Explanation

Countable plural nouns take "fewer," while mass nouns take "less." "Objections" is a plural count noun, and the comparative "than" confirms a comparison of numbers.

Question 20English language proficiency (Phase One written)

In courtroom usage, "to sustain an objection" means to:

  1. reserve it
  2. overrule it
  3. withdraw it
  4. uphold it Correct answer.

Explanation

When a judge sustains an objection, the judge agrees with it and gives it effect, which means upholding it. The objected-to evidence or question is then disallowed.

Question 21English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the pair of words that best completes the sentence: "The opinion was ______ in tone but ______ in substance, offering little that was new."

  1. strident ... original
  2. measured ... derivative Correct answer.
  3. mild ... innovative
  4. harsh ... novel

Explanation

The final clause, "offering little that was new," requires a second word meaning unoriginal, and the first word must contrast with it in tone. "Measured" supplies a restrained tone and "derivative" supplies the required lack of originality.

Question 22English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the sentence that uses "comprise" correctly.

  1. The panel comprises three judges. Correct answer.
  2. Three judges are comprising the panel.
  3. The panel is comprised of three judges.
  4. The panel comprises of three judges.

Explanation

Comprise means to consist of and takes a direct object without a preposition. The whole comprises the parts, and the parts compose the whole.

Question 23English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.

  1. Neither the bailiff nor the clerks is aware of the change.
  2. Neither the bailiff nor the clerks has been aware of the change.
  3. Neither the bailiff nor the clerks were aware of the change. Correct answer.
  4. Neither the bailiff nor the clerks was aware of the change.

Explanation

In a "neither ... nor" construction, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. "Clerks" is plural and immediately precedes the verb, so the plural "were" is required.

Question 24English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Read the passage and answer the question. "The court's opinion devotes nine pages to the procedural history and a single paragraph to the merits." One may infer that the author regarded the substantive question as:

  1. unusually difficult
  2. deserving careful analysis
  3. comparatively straightforward Correct answer.
  4. central to the outcome

Explanation

The inference rests on the contrast in space allotted: nine pages to procedure against one paragraph on the merits. Treating the substantive issue so briefly implies the author considered it simple or easily resolved.

Question 25English language proficiency (Phase One written)

In statutory drafting, "the court shall dismiss the action" differs from "the court may dismiss the action" in that "shall" signals:

  1. a conditional exception
  2. a discretionary power
  3. a future possibility
  4. a mandatory duty Correct answer.

Explanation

In legal drafting, "shall" imposes an obligation and leaves the decision-maker no choice. "May" confers discretion, which is precisely the contrast the two formulations create.

Question 26English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb: "Neither the prosecutor nor the defense witnesses ______ willing to comment on the ruling."

  1. is
  2. were Correct answer.
  3. was
  4. has been

Explanation

With "neither ... nor," the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. The nearer subject is "witnesses," which is plural, so the plural past form "were" is required. The past tense also suits the reported context.

Question 27English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "Each of the jurors was instructed to keep ______ notes in the jury room."

  1. they're
  2. their
  3. his or her Correct answer.
  4. them

Explanation

"Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun, so formal writing requires a singular pronoun to match it. "His or her" agrees with the singular antecedent "each of the jurors."

Question 28English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct word: "The new filing deadline will ______ every case currently pending before the tribunal."

  1. affects
  2. effect
  3. effects
  4. affect Correct answer.

Explanation

"Affect" is the verb meaning to influence, while "effect" is normally a noun meaning a result. After the modal "will," the base form "affect" is required.

Question 29English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct preposition: "All parties must comply ______ the court's scheduling order."

  1. to
  2. for
  3. with Correct answer.
  4. of

Explanation

The verb "comply" is followed by the preposition "with" in standard English. The resulting phrase, "comply with," means to act in accordance with a rule or order.

Question 30English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct word: "The witness ______ the prosecution called first was later excused from testifying."

  1. who
  2. whom Correct answer.
  3. whose
  4. which

Explanation

The relative pronoun functions as the object of the verb "called," so the objective case "whom" is required. "Who" would be used only if the pronoun served as the subject of its clause.

Question 31English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correctly punctuated phrase: "the ______ files were sealed by the court" (referring to three defendants).

  1. defendant's
  2. defendants
  3. defendants's
  4. defendants' Correct answer.

Explanation

A plural noun ending in -s forms the possessive by adding only an apostrophe after the s. Because the sentence refers to three defendants, the plural possessive "defendants'" is correct.

Question 32English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb form: "The exhibit has ______ in the clerk's office since the trial ended."

  1. lied
  2. laid
  3. lain Correct answer.
  4. lay

Explanation

The intransitive verb "lie" (to recline or rest) has the forms lie, lay, lain. After the auxiliary "has," the past participle "lain" is required.

Question 33English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the punctuation mark that best completes the sentence: "The court identified three defects ______ a missing signature, an untimely filing, and an incorrect fee."

  1. : Correct answer.
  2. ,
  3. and
  4. ;

Explanation

A colon may introduce an explanatory list after a complete independent clause, which is exactly the structure here. The clause before the mark is grammatically complete on its own.

Question 34English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the phrase that best completes the sentence: "The statute is designed not only to punish offenders ______ to deter future misconduct."

  1. as well as
  2. but also Correct answer.
  3. but
  4. and also

Explanation

The correlative conjunction pair is "not only ... but also." Both parts should be followed by parallel infinitives, as they are here with "to punish" and "to deter."

Question 35English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the sentence in which the introductory phrase is used correctly.

  1. Having reviewed the evidence, the jurors found the verdict unjust. Correct answer.
  2. Having reviewed the evidence, the verdict was found unjust by the jurors.
  3. Having reviewed the evidence, the verdict seemed unjust to the jurors.
  4. Having reviewed the evidence, it seemed to the jurors that the verdict was unjust.

Explanation

An introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause. Only "the jurors" can logically have reviewed the evidence, so only that sentence avoids a dangling modifier.

Question 36English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the most concise revision: "The reason the appeal was denied is because the notice was untimely."

  1. The appeal was denied because the notice was untimely. Correct answer.
  2. The reason why the appeal was denied is that the notice was untimely.
  3. The reason for the denial of the appeal is due to the untimely notice.
  4. The appeal was denied because of the reason that the notice was untimely.

Explanation

The original contains the redundant construction "the reason ... is because." A direct causal clause, "because the notice was untimely," expresses the same idea without redundancy.

Question 37English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the word that best fits the formal register of a written opinion: "The parties ______ the settlement agreement in open court."

  1. signed off on
  2. made
  3. executed Correct answer.
  4. did

Explanation

"Executed" is the precise formal verb for signing or completing a legal agreement. The other choices are vague or colloquial and do not match the register of a written opinion.

Question 38English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Read the sentence: "The officer told the driver that he had run the red light." Which revision removes the ambiguity about who ran the red light?

  1. The officer told the driver about the red light that he had run.
  2. The officer told the driver that the driver had run the red light. Correct answer.
  3. The officer told the driver that it had been run.
  4. The officer told the driver that he had run the red light.

Explanation

The pronoun "he" could refer to either the officer or the driver. Repeating the noun "the driver" makes the intended referent explicit and eliminates the ambiguity.

Question 39English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the correct verb forms: "If the witness ______ the discrepancy earlier, the court ______ the hearing."

  1. has reported ... would continue
  2. had reported ... would have continued Correct answer.
  3. had reported ... would continue
  4. reported ... will have continued

Explanation

This is a past unreal conditional, which follows the pattern "if + past perfect, would have + past participle." The witness did not report earlier, so the result is counterfactual.

Question 40English language proficiency (Phase One written)

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a restrictive relative clause.

  1. The statute, that was enacted in 1990, applies here.
  2. The statute that was enacted in 1990 applies here. Correct answer.
  3. The statute which was enacted in 1990, applies here.
  4. The statute, which was enacted in 1990 applies here.

Explanation

A restrictive clause identifies which statute is meant and is not set off by commas. In formal usage, "that" introduces a restrictive clause, while "which" typically introduces a nonrestrictive clause with commas.

Question 41Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

¿Cuál oración usa correctamente el verbo 'estar'?

  1. Mi abuela está médica.
  2. Mi abuela es en casa.
  3. Mi abuela está cansada hoy. Correct answer.
  4. Mi abuela es cansada hoy.

Explanation

'Estar' se emplea para estados temporales o condiciones cambiantes, como el cansancio; 'ser' se reserva para características inherentes, identidad y origen. Por eso la forma correcta es 'está cansada'.

Question 42Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: 'Ojalá ___ mañana.' (llover)

  1. llueva Correct answer.
  2. llueve
  3. lloviera
  4. lloverá

Explanation

La interjección 'ojalá' introduce un deseo y exige el verbo en subjuntivo; el presente de subjuntivo de 'llover' es 'llueva'. El futuro 'lloverá' o el imperfecto 'lloviera' no expresan un deseo simple sobre mañana.

Question 43Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: 'Yo ___ mucha hambre.'

  1. hago
  2. tengo Correct answer.
  3. estoy
  4. soy

Explanation

La expresión 'tener hambre' es una colocación fija que usa el verbo 'tener' para indicar una sensación física. 'Ser', 'estar' y 'hacer' no se combinan con 'hambre' en este sentido.

Question 44Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: '___ tres libros sobre la mesa.'

  1. Son
  2. Hacen
  3. Hay Correct answer.
  4. Están

Explanation

'Hay' es la forma impersonal de 'haber' que expresa existencia y no varía con el número del complemento. Por eso 'hay tres libros' es correcto aunque el sustantivo sea plural.

Question 45Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

¿Qué significa 'embarazada'?

  1. exhausted
  2. pregnant Correct answer.
  3. embarrassed
  4. ashamed

Explanation

'Embarazada' es un falso amigo: significa 'pregnant', no 'embarrassed'. El estado de vergüenza se expresa con 'avergonzada'.

Question 46Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: 'Ahora estoy ___ un libro.' (leer)

  1. leído
  2. leiendo
  3. leyendo Correct answer.
  4. leer

Explanation

El gerundio de 'leer' es 'leyendo': la terminación -iendo sustituye a -er, y la i se convierte en y entre vocales. 'Leído' es el participio y 'leer' el infinitivo.

Question 47Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: '___ cinco años que vivo aquí.'

  1. Está
  2. Es
  3. Hay
  4. Hace Correct answer.

Explanation

Para indicar cuánto tiempo ha transcurrido hasta el presente se usa 'hace' + expresión de tiempo, como en 'hace cinco años que vivo aquí'. Las formas 'es', 'hay' y 'está' no expresan duración pasada.

Question 48Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

¿Qué significa 'casita'?

  1. una casa grande
  2. una casa vieja
  3. una casa cara
  4. una casa pequeña Correct answer.

Explanation

El sufijo diminutivo '-ita' aporta la idea de tamaño pequeño o afecto, de modo que 'casita' es una casa pequeña. No implica grandeza, antigüedad ni precio.

Question 49Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: 'El informe se envió ___ correo electrónico.'

  1. para
  2. en
  3. por Correct answer.
  4. con

Explanation

'Por' introduce el medio o canal de una acción, como 'por correo electrónico'. 'Para' señala finalidad o destinatario, y 'en' se refiere a ubicación.

Question 50Spanish language proficiency (Phase One written)

Complete: 'Anoche, mientras ___ la televisión, sonó el teléfono.' (ver)

  1. veo
  2. veía Correct answer.
  3. vi
  4. veré

Explanation

El imperfecto describe la acción en desarrollo que sirve de fondo a otra acción puntual en pretérito ('sonó'). 'Vi' presentaría la acción como terminada, sin ese valor de interrupción.